The Battle
by Morphin' in
Summary: Oneshot. Repeat: Oneshot. Contains scenes of violence and angst. You have been warned!


Preface: In the year 2010, one last battle raged on the planet of Aquitar; a battle that would seal the fate of all within our galaxy. The great power had endowed over 200 rangers from the past with the force to fight this menace and one man had called them to arms. These are the final moments of an eons old war...

...

The rangers were beaten.

Echoing hollowly through the cavern systems, he could hear the clash of power swords being met in close combat as the battle continued, but he knew it was only a matter of time before each pocket of resistance fell to the invading forces.

_I'm sorry Aquitar, we've failed you._

As the intense cold began spreading throughout his body, Adam Park knew he was dying; and despite the adrenalin that had been surging through his veins only moments before, a feeling of stillness settled over him. The ear-splitting roar of the raging war machine, and the cries of those wounded and dying around it, faded to a low hum and for the first time Adam could clearly see the way the battle had played out. He would have cursed the poor tactics that had brought them to this moment, but already he could feel the hand of eternal sleep weighing heavily on his chest, along with the guilt for the squandered lives of those who had answered his call.

From the edge of his field of vision, he could just make out the red boot of one of his detail standing over him in defence. Tilting his head to look up at the strong figure above him in the armour of a ninja storm ranger, he saw the fatigue in the gradually weakening motions and the reflexes that came slower and slower each time. Despite the overwhelming odds, Adam's guardian stood proud, staunchly shielding him until the final blow came from his left side. The man crumpled and landed across Adam's torso; the front of his helmet had been shattered from a previous blow and Adam could see dark eyes wide in heartrending disbelief, even as the last of his life force ebbed from him.

Before the battle, Adam had been too busy conferencing with the other detail leaders on tactics, and familiarising himself with gathered intelligence to spend much time with his command. As a result he couldn't remember the name of the young man who had just died in his defence. Turning his eyes away, he looked to see if the West portal guard still stood.

Not far from where he lay a tall figure in blue fought on, besieged by a dozen black knights of the elite squadron from Detruthius. _Justin_ Adam thought, and wondered at what point in the siege the former turbo ranger had arrived at this post. The order to fall back and guard the portals had to have been given on the upper levels then. Seeing no-one else from the city detail nearby, Adam prayed for a moment that some had survived. He knew that Billy had fallen, because he had personally despatched the Altrian foot soldier a heartbeat after the sodden dagger was ripped from his friend's throat. The call to stations had sounded then, and there had been no time to retrieve the lifeless body of his comrade for burial. Whispering a hoarse plea for forgiveness, Adam had followed the green mystic force ranger down the chute to his command's allocated position.

Suddenly, he could hear a renewed clatter of defences from the city's end of the transport chute, rising above it came the steady bellowing of the city detail commander TJ. The fighting had taken another turn up there, and Adam wished he knew what was going on, but the world around him was slowly fading into nothing.

As the last breath passed his lips, he thought he could hear the sounds of his post's defence crumbling beneath a final onslaught of knights. He would never know that what he heard were reinforcements that had arrived from Earth under the time force rangers' command. Nor would he know that his still body would be found later by a fellow black ranger, and mourned as only a true soul-mate can be.

...

Dr. Thomas Oliver stood in the shade of the monolith, his Dino Thunder uniform gleaming smartly. Beside and behind him stood fifty veterans of the Aquition war; all that were left. A year had already passed since that day, and now the rangers had gathered to pay their final respects. Avoiding looking at the familiar name he had already found on the brilliant white stone, Thomas turned and surveyed those assembled. The thought rose unbidden: Adam would have been proud of all of them. Turning aside his grief for a more private moment, he raised his voice above the music that played from the rear and dedicated the monument.

'_To those who have fallen in Defence of Aquitar, Earth, and the future of all good_

_Rest in Peace'_


End file.
